Berg-h



(No Model.)

H. VAN HOEVBNBERGH. UNISON DEVICE FON PRINTING TBLBGNAPNS.

No. 316,691. Patented Apr. 2.8, 1885k .H m.. gm/

llllllllllllIlllllllllmllllllllll` Eemy 172m Hoeve/zezyh,

ilniirnn drames Partiti? Ormea HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH, OF ELIZABETH, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO y THE BALTIMORE dt OHIO TELEGRAPH' COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MD.

UNISON DTEVlCE FOR PRINTHNGMTELEGRAPHS,

SPEC'IFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 316,691, dated April 28, 15185.

.Application filed August 7, 1884. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VAN HoEvEN- BERGH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the'county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing- Telegraph Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of apparatus employed for printing telegraphic dispatches and messages through the agency of electric currents transmitted over a single main-line conductor.

The object of the invention is to provide an instrument which is capable of printing with as great rapidity as the instruments commonly employedfor this purpose, and which will at all times be maintained in unison with the transmitting apparatus. v

It has been heretofore proposed to advance a type-wheel step by step until the required type is in position to be printeds and toadvance it automatically to unison after the impression has been effected.

My invention is based upon this principle; and it consists in certain improvements in the method of executing it.

In carrying out my invention I mount the type-wheel rigidly upon a shaft,which is provided wth a ratchet-wheel capable of being Y advanced step by step through the action of a suitable pawl controlled by an electro-magnet. This electromagnet is designed to respond to impulses of a given strength, and to thereby cause the successive type upon the type-wheel to be brought in turn above the printing-platen. The lever upon which the pawl is carri'ed also carries a suitable dog or click,which enters the spaces between the successive teeth of the ratchet-wheel and prevents the typewheel from advancing more than one type for each advance movement of the pawl. This click also prevents the type-wheel from being moved in either direction so long as the electro-n1agnet, which controls the movement of the pawl, remains vitalized.

For the purpose of advancing the typewheel to its unison-point after each impression, a second ratchet-wheel is connected with the type-wheel shaft through a frictional connection, and this second ratchet-wheel is dewhen the latter is moved away from the typewheel. To this end a segmental rack is carried upon the printing-lever,which, when the lever is elevated, passes freely over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, but during the return movement of the lever engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel and causes it to rotate. This movement of the second ratchet-wheel is communicated through the frictional gearing to the type-wheel, and the latter is revolved, the first-named ratchet-wheel being released from the click carried by its actuating-lever. When the type-wheel has been thus :advanced through the action of the printing-lever to its unison-point, it is arrested by the contact Aof an arm upon the type-wheel shaft with a .rapid printing it will be desirable to so arrange the characters upon the type-wheel that those most frequently employed shall be so located that they will be brought first above the platen'by the movement of the actuating-lever, while those least frequently employed are placed so that nearly a complete revolution of the type-wheel will be required before they are brought into position to print.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of such parts of a printing-telegraph instrument as are required to illustrate my invention, and Fig. 2 is a 'front view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a type-wheel shaft, upon which is carried a typewheel, B. The type-wheel is preferably rig idly secured to the shaft, as is also a ratchetwheel, C. The wheel G is designed to contain as many teeth as there are vcharacters upon the typewheel, so that for each advancement of the ratchet-wheel through a space occupied ICO its electro-magnet in the position shown inl the drawings. `A detent or click, c', is carried upon the lever, which, while the armaturelever is in the position shown in the drawings, is out of engagement with the ratchetwheel; but when the lever is in its forward position the click is caused to pass between f two teeth of the ratchet-wheel and to lock the same in the position which it has been caused to occupy by reason of the pawl c.

The electro-magnet E is designed to cause its armature to respond to electric currents of a given strength, whether of positive yor of negative polarity. It will be seen, therefore,

that for the purpose of bringing any desired type upon the type-wheel above the printingplaten, it is necessary only to transmit a number of impulses sufficient to revolve the type- Wheel until the desired type has been brought in its turn above the platen P.

When the desired type has been brought above the platen, it is designed to effect an impression therefrom through the agency of an electro-magnet, F, which Iis included in the saine circuit with the electro-magnet E, but is designed to respond only to a current of greater strength or else of greater duration than those employed for actuating the electro-y magnet E. Such a current will cause the armature f of the electro-magnet F to be drawn toward the electro-magnet, thereby actuating the armature-leverf and causing the platen P to carry the paper-tape p against the typewheel, and thus to effect an impression in a manner well understood. It will be seen, moreover, that during the time the electro-magnet F is vitalized the electro-magnet E also re- `mains vitalized and the type-wheel is firmly when the printing-lever is raised for the purpose of effecting an impression. During the return movement of the lever, however, the teeth of the rack-bar engage the teeth of the pinion and cause the latter to revolve inthe direction indicated by the arrow. If, therefore, the type-wheel be free to move when the armature-leverf is returning to its normal position, it'will be advanced by reason 0f the frictional connection existing between the pinion k and thel type-wheel shaft A; and it is evident, moreover, that upon the interruption of the current employed for effecting an impression the armature e Will be allowed to fall away from its electro- Amagnet, thereby disengaging the click c from the teeth of the ratchet-wheel C. The length of the, rack-bar h and the relative sizes of the rachet-pinion h and frictional gear-wheel k are so adjusted that the downward movement of the armature-leverwill bey sufficient to revolve the type-wheel through one complete revolution, or at least through a com-V plete revolution less the arc occupied by a single type and intervening space. position, therefore, the type-wheel has been arrested for the purpose of printing, the return movement of the printing-lever will causethe type-Wheel to advance to its starting-point. At this point it is designed that the type-wheel shall be arrested by means of a unison-stop.

This unison-stop consists of an arm, o, carried.

upon the type-wheel shaft A and extending therefrom a sufficient distanceto engage With a pin or detent, o', carried upon the armaturelever c.

Upon the end of the arm o is carried a lateral projection, o2, which is designedto strike against the pin o', provided the armature-lever e is in its position away from the electro-magnet. Vhen, therefore, the type-Wheel is revolved by reason of the action of the printinglever j", it will be arrested at its unison-point by reason of the arm o and detent o. The sub- In Whatever IOO sequent downward movement, however, of

rthe armature-lever e Will cause the pin ovto pass out of the path of the projection o2 upon the arm o, and permit the type-wheel to be advanced under the influence of the-pawl c.

It is evident that it is desirable that the letters most frequently employed in printing shall be the ones first brought above the printing-platen, for in this manner a `less num-ber of impulses will be required for bringingthese letters into position to print. For-this purpose I prefer to place the letters in substantially the following order, commencing at the unison-point, namely, E A I N O T H'D G R, Src. The precise order of letters, :however, is -not essential, as any convenient order of succession may be employed as seen fit.

For the purpose of advancing the papertape when the impressions have been effected, any suitable form of paperfeeding device may beemployed.

In an application of even date herewith, Serial No. 139,883, there is shown and d escribed a unison device brought into action by the printing-lever, and such an organization IIO l. The combination, substantial-ly as hereinbefore set forth, with the type-wheel of a printing-telegraph instrument, of an electromagnet, means, substantially such as described, for advancing said type-wheel step by step through the agency of said electro-magnet, a printing-lever, and means, substantially such as described, for causing an advance movement of said type-wheel through the agency of said printing-lever when said lever moves away from said type-wheel.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the type-wheel of a printing-telegraph instrument, and means, substantially such as described, for advancing it step by step, of a printing-lever, a rack-bar moving with said printing-lever, a toothed wheel or pinion engaged by said rack-bar and caused to rotate when said lever moves away from said type-wheel, and means, substantially such as described, for communicating the movement of said ratchet-wheel or pinion to said type-wheel.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the type-wheel of a printing-telegraph instrument and means for advancing it, ot' a printing-lever, a toothed bar moving with said printing-lever, a ratchetwheel or pinion to which said bar is applied, and a frictional gearing between said ratchetwheel or pinion and said type-wheel.

4f. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the type-wheel of a printing-telegraph-instrument, of a ratchetwheel moving with said type-wheel, a pawl for advancing said ratchet-wheel step by step, an electro-magnet for actuating said pawl, a printing-lever for effecting impressions from said type-wheel, a wheel caused to advance by the movements of said printing-lever away from said type-wheel, and a frictional gearing between the last-named wheel and said typewheel.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the type-wheel of a printing-telegraph instrument, of a pawl and ratchet-wheel for actuating the same step by step, a click for engaging said ratchet-wheel when said pawl has caused an advancement of said type-wheel, a printing-lever for effecting impressions from said type-wheel While said ratchet-wheel is engaged by said click, and means, substantially such as described, for advancing said type-wheel to its unisonpointafter animpression has been taken therefrom and said ratchet-wheel has been released from said click.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the type-wheel, and means, substantially such as described, for advancing the same step by step, of a printing-lever and a frictional connection. between said lever and said type-wheel whereby the latter is advanced.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the typo-wheel of a printing-telegraph instrument, of an electromagnet, its armature and armature-lever for effecting a step-by-step advancement of said type-wheel, a printing-lever for effecting impressions therefrom, a frictional connection between said printing-lever and said typewheel whereby the latter is automatically advanced after an impression has been effected therefrom, and a device for arresting said typewheel in a given position when it is so advanced, which device consists of au arm moving with said type-wheel and a detent carried upon the first-named armature-lever, which detent is in the path of said arm only when said arm is remote from said electro-magnet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of June, A. D. 1884.

HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH. [L 8.]

Vitnesses:

DANI.. WV. EDGncoMB, CHARLns A. TERRY. 

